Egyptian child contracts bird flu virus

An Egyptian toddler has contracted the highly pathogenic bird flu virus, bringing the number of confirmed cases in the country to 62.

The 21-month-old boy is from Beheira in northern Egypt and was in a "good" condition after being treated with the antiviral drug Tamiflu, reports state.

The new bird flu infection came several days after a 2-year-old boy from the same province contracted the AI virus.

It has not been reported how the child contracted the avian influenza virus, but most Egyptians who have fallen ill with bird flu are believed to have contracted the virus from infected household birds.